Foot pedal



July 25, 1933. F. w. TRABOLD FOOT PEDAL File March 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIIIIII ATTORNEY y 1933- F. w. TRABOLD 1,919,963

FOOT PEDAL Filed March 26, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E l INVENTOR kmwwL-yznw ATTORNEY characters being applied thereto withthe addition of a prime the feet/of the user, shoe soles, engage 'lng transversely mchned pressure-receiv ng .areas, are indicated at 15,1'5 and shoe toes p, In Fig. 2 it is suggested that, even though a motion-transmitting member 12a be verti-' cally disposed and connected with a foot-re ceiving member a by a horizontal member,

at 16,.1 t3Q-laxesof; the users respective 'legs beingindicated by lines 17 17 and the.;in-;

tended angle at the ankle joints being indie cated diagrammatically by fintersectionspf the lines 17 17 with lines"1'8, 18"., j

"l3m', an effect similarto that above'described maybe obtained T by cupping "or upwardly bending'the inneredge portion 196; of memv berl Oa insuch manneras to; give an outward tilt tothe sole 15a of a users shoe; and %'Fig.: 3 suggests that a similar effect maybe ob-. producing an off-set er stepped tained; by

- effect, as at 196. 1

I of thepresent invention by providingia suit-i i able, bend, "as at 200, in the member 120 and Figs. 5-7, inclusivefwill be seen. to aimflat alternative solutions of the problem of I adapting ordinary? pedals to produce the beneficial effects towardxw-hichthe present F gil aims to suggest the transformation of an originally horizontalpedal includinga foot-receiving member 100 and a motiontransmitting member 120 into an'embodiment invention is directed. a or i t In F 1g. 5, arr'orlginally flat foot-receiving thickness to be "employed; rand" that 5 it also successiveusers.

' substantiallythe .same "problem as above re its equivalent;'andinFi a member 110fi is shown as having disposed therem a plate 217 whose elevation is' adjustab y means f @WihgsCrewQQfy-suchas ferr'ed to,' a-ifooti-receiving member IOe'be' provided with an inclined-surfaceelementin the form ofa' Wedge-shaped removableinsert- 216,0 the in'nerfedge:thereofxbeing giveniany thickness suitable to provide an'area at the: yrequlred inclination sand said insert being? retained by: any suitable means,"- s'uoh as a downwardly and inwardly re curved eaten! sion 26c, secured bymeans ofa; screw 2 26," or

,mark.j In order more clearly to indicate the resultant'positions of g. 7,; a foot-receiving may ibe threaded into a member 10f and locke'din any. adjusted position by means of v i a nut 24f. p

'InFigL S, an advantageous feature which the described embodiments of the present invention orindependenfly thereof is separately illustrated Although arecelving .member 109, for the left foot, is shown as. [having a slightly. different general config 1 uration from a receiving member 10g! for therightfoot,thepoint aimed at; in the con-- structions here referred to, is such a form 1 and'angular fdisposition of any flanges, such as thoseshown at 11-41; 1n the ment1oned may beemployed in connection with any of i figures andiatllg, llg 'fin the'Fig. 8, as not i only tOuIGbfltlil theffeet'on the pedals but to: produce: atoe-inturning or pigeon-toe effect, substantially as suggested by the outlines of shoesoles. at 159, 1595..

form of' a treadle 10h, which may be viewed i as apair 10f pedals united of such form and 7 dimensions as to adapt itjfavorably to reoeiveaboth feet of the user, is shown as centrally fcrowned -at 197a,. and as provided withmlateral-Qfianges 11/2 and 11h',the structure here i i referred to being obviously 1 suitable for use upon a sewing, machine, or "the'likeyand obviously effective toward the same-results (asare obtained. by construe;

.tionspreviously'described,

Byway ofi ernphasizing the fact rh umrioiis features: :shovvn in mentioned figures:

may '1 be.-con jointly. used, with or Without additional features, a motion transmitting member l2iis shown in Fig. 10 as provided Withsuch a bend at 202' as to produce a slight outward inclination in la foot-receiving .member 102', andsmeans for varying the an- ,gle of inclination oflthe usersflfoot are sho'wnasincluding notonly a Wedge-shaped element 21zf, bi1t also: an inclined plate 212".

int

This "plate, if used,-may be provided with numerous openings 2721 through which may fproject extensions from the Wedge-shaped member 2lz','which may beformed of a qrubberslike or; "other friction-assuring comA position. In this for1n,-.an;up.wardly bentv orcurvedtongue 28? is shown as extending throughan opening 292' in 1a fiange l'lz'; and

an assemblyincludingeither ,orpboth of the eIementsQli and21z" may be retained by meansrsuchas a-bifurcate or other down-v wardly and inwardly v ;re-curve'd extension 26i,+-shownl,asslotted at 3Oz' -to receive a wing screw 312'; This-screw may extend througha threaded boss 32i,'optionally i -forming'adepression inthe member 102'; and it'i may be provided'notonly with a swivel-connectedplate 332',- receivable in saididepression, butlwith a lock nut 242',-

the swivel-connected plate to 3311 being shown as engaging an inner plate 3471; in-

a 1 i m t ned'platefili.

In 9,*afoot-receiving element in the In Fig. 11, a'motion-transmitting lever 12 7, disposed in a. substantially vertical plane, is shown as connected with an inclined plate 10j by means comprising a correspondingly inclined bolt, screw or rivet l3j,-extending through a pair of lugs 143', 14y"; and the construction shown in Fig. 12 is similar except that a. shorter cylindrical element 137?, as used to connect the members, 10k and 12k, extends through but a single lug 1472. 1

Figs. 13 and 14 are added to emphasize the fact that, as deformity or special needs of a particular user may dictate, pedal plates may be either inwardly or outwardly inclined;-and flanges 11Z, llZ are shown as disposed at the inner edges of plates 1OZ, lOZ, intended to receive respectively a left foot and a right foot. It being assumed that the feet of the user of the pedals shown in Fig. 141 require plates 10m, 10m both to be inclined downward toward the lifts, stops 11m, 11m are provided at the lower edges thereof; and Fig. 14: incidentally emphasizes the fact that headed elements, such as rivets, screws or bolts 22m, 22% adjacent an edge of a pedal, may be used, even without additional inserted elements, directly to impart a desired inclination to the foot of the user.

' Finally, Figs. 15 and 16 will be seen to suggest the use of means whereby the transverse inclination of a pressure-receiving member in the form of a plate 10n may be adjustably varied, relatively to a motiontransmitting member 1272, for any desired arch adjusting efiect. For this purpose, a bolt 13a, extending through a single transverse lug 14% on the member 1012 and through two parallel terminal members 12% and 1272/ on thelever 12a is shown as provided with a plurality of nuts 35a, 36n,--.

the latter being a lock nut; and the construction shown in Fig. 17 will be seen to resemble that of Fig. 16 except as it suggests the use of but one terminal member 12p on the lever 12p, to cooperate with a lug 14 on plate10p,'serrated contact surfaces being provided upon the parts last referred to and one or more'nuts 35p, 36 being used on bolt 13;).

The structure, function and general mode of use of pedals of the described novel type having been fully indicated above, it may be emphasized, in conclusion, not only that various features of the present invention might be independently employed but also that numerous modifications, additional to the many suggested herein and adapting the invention to economical manufacture or to use either upon machines for industrial use to use upon regular bicycles, exercising bicycles, rowing machines or elsewhere, or

-migh't easily be devised by skilled workers if informed of the foregoing,all without departure from the scope of the present invention as the latter is indicated in 'the accompanying claim:

I I claim:

A foot pedal organization for use in the operation of the brakes and clutches of automobiles comprising a motion transmitting member, a foot receiving member integral therewith and provided with a pressure receiving area, which is transversely inclined, said foot receiving member being provided adjacent the outer edgethereof with an upwardly extending curved flange portion, for providing an in-toeing effect, and means operatively connected to the foot receiving member, for adjustably varying the inclination of the pressure receiving area.

FRANK w. TRABOLD. 

